Selected Works of Huang Shengmin: History and Time

Author: Huang Shengmin
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2004-09-01
Features: This series of "Selected Works of Famous Scholars in Journalism and Communication Studies" is prefaced by the esteemed academician Fang Hanqi, and no further introduction is needed from the editor. Here, I will briefly discuss the original intention, selection criteria, and editorial principles. In the early 1980s, shortly after the Cultural Revolution, representatives who once advocated "journalism without a discipline" retracted their ignorance. The Beijing Journalism Society and the China Journalism Education Society were established one after another. In this positive atmosphere, the long-interrupted research on journalism and communication studies resumed. At the turn of the new century, journalism and communication studies were elevated to the status of a first-tier discipline. Since the new century, hundreds of books and thousands of academic papers on journalism and communication studies have been published every year. The scientific research and discipline construction of journalism and communication studies have entered a true golden age. With the deepening of research and the continuous extension of secondary and tertiary disciplines, a group of influential academic leaders emerged. Among them are Wang Zhong, Gan Qifen, Li Longmu, Fang Hanqi, Zhang Longdong, Ning Shufan, Ding Ganlin, and Zhao Yuming—veteran scholars in academia. They were the pioneers and trailblazers of journalism studies and education in New China. Some proposed new theoretical systems, some authored numerous works, some introduced new theories of journalism and communication to the Chinese public earlier, and some promoted discipline construction through a combination of historical and theoretical research. Under their mentorship, a new generation of scholars has emerged. The new generation of leaders was born in the tide of reform and opening up. Building upon the theories, knowledge, and methods of their predecessors, they have made new breakthroughs and developments. The eight authors in this selected works series are among the first representatives. There are several reasons for editing and publishing this series of selected works. First, it examines the research achievements of the new generation of academic leaders in journalism and communication studies, showcasing the new level of discipline construction that has been continuously deepened and expanded. Second, it systematically introduces the research fields and representative works of new leaders in journalism and communication studies, promoting communication and complementarity between the discipline and other humanities and social sciences. Third, it provides a platform for young scholars of journalism and communication to understand the academic views and research methods of their mentors. Due to various reasons, there are few and scattered journals publishing academic papers on journalism and communication studies, making it quite difficult to read them. A collection of works can offer some convenience. For the invited scholars selected for this series, there are several considerations. First, they are leading figures in a specific professional or research direction of journalism and communication studies. Second, they have a certain national influence. Third, they are active doctoral supervisors. Fourth, they have a relatively broad readership. Given that there are dozens of scholars nationwide who meet these criteria, and our editorial experience in this area is limited, we plan to start with this first volume, inviting eight renowned scholars. Since this is a "self-selected" series, it should fully reflect the individual styles of the authors. However, as part of a series, it should also have similarities or consistencies. After discussions among the eight authors, the following requirements have been agreed upon for the individual selected works in the series: First, respect the original historical context; make no changes to the selected articles, except for minor technical corrections such as correcting typos. Second, each volume will include a photograph of the author, an academic profile, and an interview-style text where the author discusses their academic experiences, insights, and reflections. Third, each volume will be approximately 300,000 to 350,000 words in length.
At the end, as the editor, I would like to represent the eight selected authors in expressing our respect to our mentors. Without their cultivation, we would not have achieved what we have today. We extend greetings to our students, whose diligence and efforts have demonstrated the value of our work. We express our gratitude to the leaders and editors of Fudan University Press. It is due to the platforms and opportunities they provided that we scholars were able to publish this selected works series, allowing us to reflect on our journey. We quietly await the readers' criticism of this series. We will improve future volumes based on readers' feedback.
Journalism and communication studies are emerging disciplines among the many fields of humanities and social sciences. In China, the study of journalism has a history of nearly a century, and the attention and research on communication have also spanned nearly three decades. Thanks to the efforts of scholars in journalism and communication studies, the discipline has evolved from being dismissed by some industry insiders as "a discipline without a discipline" to becoming a "discipline of prominence." In the national discipline catalog, it has transitioned from being a secondary discipline under Chinese language and literature to becoming an independent first-tier discipline. The past two decades since the reform and opening up have been a period of rapid development for journalism and communication studies in China. Research on journalistic theory, the history of journalism, press law, journalistic ethics, radio and television, and public supervision has been comprehensively expanded. The study of journalistic theory has also shifted from pure party newspaper theory to general journalistic theory. The research on communication has been deeply integrated with sociology, psychology, anthropology, law, and economics externally, and combined with journalism internally, achieving significant progress. Research on basic theories of communication, critical theory of communication, as well as the study of communication and public opinion, semiotics, and new media have all garnered attention. The study of media economics has also become a hot topic. Journalism and communication studies have entered a stage of integration with other humanities and social sciences, with multidisciplinary academic development.
The current prosperity and development of Chinese journalism and communication studies are the result of the hard work of several generations of scholars. From the early 20th century to the present, the academic community of journalism and communication studies in China has passed down the torch, with each generation leading the field for several years. Among them, the outstanding figures are all renowned scholars who have contributed to the prosperity and development of Chinese journalism and communication studies. The authors included in this series are the new generation of "renowned scholars" of Chinese journalism and communication studies who emerged after the reform and opening up. Most of them come from universities or other teaching and research positions, are leading figures in contemporary journalism and communication studies in a particular field, and are outstanding scholars with extensive knowledge and a strong reputation. Compared to their predecessors, the "renowned scholars" of this generation have the following characteristics: (1) A solid foundation in humanities theory; (2) A reasonable and comprehensive knowledge structure; (3) Essential knowledge of the forefront of the discipline; (4) Active thinking, avoiding rigid adherence to tradition or self-imposed limitations; (5) Exposure to the reforms and opening up, as well as the integration of Chinese and Western cultures, with a broad academic perspective. They are a generation of innovators and pioneers, surpassing their predecessors.
It is a good publishing idea to have the "renowned scholars" of journalism and communication studies compile "self-selected" works. First, all the works come from "renowned scholars." Since they are "renowned," there is a certain guarantee of quality, avoiding the confusion or misjudgment that can arise from selecting among the numerous new works. Second, all the works are "self-selected." Since they are self-selected, they must be works that the authors are satisfied with and believe can be passed down as classics. This avoids the waste of resources and misguiding of students, and also significantly reduces the financial burden on readers and students. This will be highly beneficial for society, academia, and cultural development. I congratulate the publication of this series of "Selected Works of Famous Scholars in Journalism and Communication Studies" and believe it will certainly attract the attention and welcome of journalism and communication scholars and students both in China and abroad.